Nationals vs Phillies, Game 3

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Just got back.  I cannot believe I saw Edwin Jackson, Sammy Solis, AJ Cole, Joe Blanton, Ollie Perez, and Fat Albers in a game.

Were Read and Robles squeezed by the ump in the 9th?  They seemed to have good strike zone judgment.

On top of all that, I get to the gate, try to put in my ticket, the reader is red, and the usher says "check the date."  My tickets were for last night.  I've been handling so many tickets for my group I lost track of which ones I swapped.  These were originally a SPH partner's 7/5 tickets, but my partner  remembered that they were booked for another event, so I swapped my pair for the 3/31 rainout for their tickets so they could get 9/15 tickets.  I then picked up RCRs for a bunch of games, and somehow got it in my mind that I had tickets for tonight.  I ended up picking up a $5 ticket and moving around the stadium.

[bluestreak]

Still, why start the MLB clock on a 20 year old with half a season of AA ball, especially if he's a top 10 prospect? Keep from doing that until the last moment so there's as much control time as possible after Harper leaves.

Can someone explain to me what the MLB clock means and how the call up actually affects Robles? I don’t understand the rules fully?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Can someone explain to me what the MLB clock means and how the call up actually affects Robles? I don’t understand the rules fully?

A player with 6 or more years service time can become a free agent.   A season is something like 170 (172?) days of service time.  One trick to getting almost an extra season of control of a player is to keep his time just below a full season's credit his rookie year.  That's why you  often see guys called up around 4/20 or so.   Service time also figures into arbitration rights.  Most players are arbitration eligible for the first time after 3 years of service time, except something like the 20% of players with the most service time among those with less the 3 years become eligible sooner and get a 4th year of arbitration (the so-called "super 2s").  Another factor in calling up a player is that, once a player has been put on your 40 man roster, you only get to send him back to the minors generally 3 times.   All of these rules have subtleties, but, with respect to Robles, by adding him to the roster, he earns service time, and, if he does not start the year with the Nats in 2018, more than likely we start burning option years.  I think the month service time he earns for September counts towards his first year of service. 

[bluestreak]

Thanks, JCA

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Thanks, JCA

if Blue911 was still posting, he correct everything I just told you.  The trick with him is, if you ever meet him, just make good eye contact and nod.